This, of course, is not the Dickson charge pump, but I have had a lot of fun fooling around with it--I have cascaded up to 10 stages and was able to flash a neon pilot lamp from a 9V battery without having to resort to magnetics. What is unique is the single pulse response. Output pulse rise time is less than 1us.

All kinds of variations are possible--how about power transistors and computer grade electrolytics? or NPN transistors to generate a negative pulse? or complimentary outputs? or Vcc = 24V?

The output can also be used to charge a capacitor via a diode rectifier.

Visualize it as a number of independent links dangling vertically from a horizontal line, but as soon as you grab and raise the first link, all other links become connected in series as in a long pole--the length indicating voltage...

Or try the one using opto isolators--seems neat, but the performance is not as good.